What would you consider the proper wear of the beret?

No the army should not issue preshaped berets leaders should sit down and train Soldiers how to properly shape there beret to include shavining it.

First of all, no. No pre-shaped/pre-shaved berets for the FNGs. They need the discipline and attention to detail that preparing a beret instills. Second, being in a Basic Training environment, I see this every week. Some of the berets (on the heads of the motivated and high-speed Trainees) look the way a beret is supposed to, if a little short. But many of them are lazy and will tell you to your face "I didn't feel like doing all that."

Now, according to DA PAM 670-1: "The beret is worn so that the headband (edge binding) is straight across the forehead, 1 inch above the eyebrows. The flash is positioned over the left eye, and the excess materials is draped over to the right ear, extending to at least the top of the ear, and no lower than the middle of the ear. Personnel will cut off the ends of the adjusting ribbon and secure the ribbon knot inside the edge binding at the back of the beret. When worn properly, the beret is formed to the shape of the head; therefore, Soldiers may not wear hairstyles that cause distortion of the intended shape of the beret."

Granted, some people and some units kind of....bend this a bit more than a little. But these things have since become tradition. As an Infantryman, I have found that in many Infantry units, we wear our berets parallel to the marching surface, but excessively long (mine hangs down to my neck, well past the ear). the 82nd is WELL known for the Elephant Ear beret that sits the beret cocked over and pulled low. And Rangers have been know to wear theirs damn near only halfway on their head. These things have become identifiers and traditions for units and specialties. Is it wrong and out-of-regs? Yes. Is it likely to change? Probably not.

No, they should teach people to wear them properly and call them out when they are not.